The Mindset of a Pharisee

Luke 15:28 NASB95

28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

Luke 15.

Why was he angry? Why was there no compassion or mercy or rejoicing? And all it produced was separation- he was not willing to go in!

Luke 15:29 NASB95

29 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

“I have been serving you.”-

God is not my slave master! I am not simply doing God’s bidding. God is my Father and He loves me and I love Him and I love to obey Him.

“I have never neglected a command of yours.”-

God is not simply issuing commands that I am then forced to obey. It is not forced obedience. If this is the way I view my relationship with God it becomes the standard by which I judge all other people. I never neglect to obey a command of God. Other people sure do, like that no good son of yours. Look at me, look at me, look at me. I deserve better, I am better. I have been sacrificing myself for you God all my life and this is the thanks that I get???? This is such a dangerous attitude to fall into! But I know that I allow my own thoughts of self-superiority to creep into my thinking. I do think of myself as better than other people. And the root cause of that is a wrong view of my relationship with my Father!